Welcome to 2017
I hope you had a good holiday and wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
I am a closet pagan and celebrate the Winter Solstice since that existed before religion was invented and has an earthy relevance to what gardeners do. The days are now starting to lengthen, soon there will be warmth and light to grow the new seasons crops and January is a good month to start thinking about what you will grow.
January is an ideal month to observe your garden from an upstairs window, at this time of year you will soon see if you have any structure, i.e. shrubs, trees and hard landscaping and you can make a mental note to find something to fill a gap or hide an eyesore, and also include anything outside your boundary into your plans. For example reduce a hedge to reveal a view or plant trees to frame a church tower – you get my drift.
The winter garden need not be drab and dreary, there are some wonderful plant combinations to give interest, be it colour or scent or both.
In a small garden every inch of soil needs to earn its keep and a common approach is to think of planting three layers in each space as you will observe in nature.
Bulbs or low growing ground covering creeping things, then medium shrubs or herbaceous specimens then taller trees, grasses and climbers.
Throw in to the mix the need for interest during different seasons and you will see why gardening is art and science combined and a never ending striving for perfection.
There are some wonderful winter/early spring combinations and choosing what you can fit in is the hardest part.
Try to be disciplined when you go to the garden centre. We all make impulse buys but they can be hard to place – do you have the right soil, location i.e. sun/shade and space for it fully grown.
Understorey – hellebores, wood anemone, arum italicum, snowdrop, bergenia, daffs large and small,
Ophiopogon (black ‘grass’ wonderful with snowdrops,) crocus, cyclamen coum, aconite
Middle Storey – Bay, Cornus (dogwood, amazing colours) sarcococca (amazing scent) witchhazel, rosemary
Top storey- Viburnam bodnantense(scent) mahonia, philadelpus (mock orange) forsythia, pittosporum(wonderful for flower arranging)
These are all easy, hardy good doers, don’t worry about the names, look them up, look at plant labels, ask nursery staff, all gardeners love imparting information.
Try some of the independent nurseries, often they grow their own stock , are experts on their stock, will not make you feel silly if you are a beginner and best of all can have something different from the big chains and may well be cheaper.
Just check over your roses and trees to make sure they are not flapping about in the breeze/gales.
Cut grass on a high setting if very mild, it will collect up leaves too and make everything look neat, especially if you cut the edges as well – use a board and a half moon tool to straighten up any wonky bits .Keep off wet sticky soil or use boards to distribute the weight and avoid compaction – death to any soil.
Plant any bare root trees, fruit or hedging, also new climbers like clematis and honeysuckle.
In the veg garden you can cover a patch with plastic sheeting or cloches to warm it up for early sowing.
Broad beans can be planted now if not done in autumn – make sure you get a variety suitable for winter sowing. Protect them from rodents and bad weather, best started in pots I find, then planted out later.
Also sweet peas can be planted now, say four to a pot, must be a deep pot as they make very long roots, they too can be planted in the ground later. Protect from vermin ,slugs and excessive wet.
Look out for seed potatoes, you could grow just half a dozen in old fertilizer sacks to enjoy that unique home grown flavour. Buy the seed potatoes and place them in egg cartons in a cool light place to chit i.e. grow little green shoots, rose end down (a tiny indentation where it was once attached to a root) ready to be planted out about Easter times.
You can plant garlic now ,a very easy crop, probably best under a cloche in harsh weather.
Avoid the temptation to go out and have a general hack at shrubs. Most are best pruned after flowering and then take out one third of the old wood down to the ground to stimulate new young growth to bear flowers. Old wood will be darker in colour or just look old and scruffy.
Cut back jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine, yellow flowers) with shears after flowering, take out any straggly bits and tie in strong new growth to its support.
Leave hydrangea heads on until danger of frost is over then cut back by about 20cm to a pair of strong buds. Buddleia can be cut back hard to about knee level.
Divide any perennials that you did not get around to in autumn e.g. helenium (daisies) phlox, hostas etc. Leave peonies and unless they have stopped flowering.
When shoots of bulbs first appear give them a handful of general fertilizer. After flowering do not take off green leaves for six weeks as they are feeding the bulb for next year.
Use any suitable prunings from shrubs to make wigwams for later in the year. Stick about 6 uprights into the ground in a circle around the plant that needs support, then weave other bits in and around them. It does not matter if it looks rather odd or untidy, the plant inside will soon cover it up and be grateful for your efforts.
Well I think that is enough to keep you going for a while, I am off for a winter holiday now. Will have more cuttings for you in March.
Happy gardening.
Caroline
I hope you had a good holiday and wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
I am a closet pagan and celebrate the Winter Solstice since that existed before religion was invented and has an earthy relevance to what gardeners do. The days are now starting to lengthen, soon there will be warmth and light to grow the new seasons crops and January is a good month to start thinking about what you will grow.
January is an ideal month to observe your garden from an upstairs window, at this time of year you will soon see if you have any structure, i.e. shrubs, trees and hard landscaping and you can make a mental note to find something to fill a gap or hide an eyesore, and also include anything outside your boundary into your plans. For example reduce a hedge to reveal a view or plant trees to frame a church tower – you get my drift.
The winter garden need not be drab and dreary, there are some wonderful plant combinations to give interest, be it colour or scent or both.
In a small garden every inch of soil needs to earn its keep and a common approach is to think of planting three layers in each space as you will observe in nature.
Bulbs or low growing ground covering creeping things, then medium shrubs or herbaceous specimens then taller trees, grasses and climbers.
Throw in to the mix the need for interest during different seasons and you will see why gardening is art and science combined and a never ending striving for perfection.
There are some wonderful winter/early spring combinations and choosing what you can fit in is the hardest part.
Try to be disciplined when you go to the garden centre. We all make impulse buys but they can be hard to place – do you have the right soil, location i.e. sun/shade and space for it fully grown.
Understorey – hellebores, wood anemone, arum italicum, snowdrop, bergenia, daffs large and small,
Ophiopogon (black ‘grass’ wonderful with snowdrops,) crocus, cyclamen coum, aconite
Middle Storey – Bay, Cornus (dogwood, amazing colours) sarcococca (amazing scent) witchhazel, rosemary
Top storey- Viburnam bodnantense(scent) mahonia, philadelpus (mock orange) forsythia, pittosporum(wonderful for flower arranging)
These are all easy, hardy good doers, don’t worry about the names, look them up, look at plant labels, ask nursery staff, all gardeners love imparting information.
Try some of the independent nurseries, often they grow their own stock , are experts on their stock, will not make you feel silly if you are a beginner and best of all can have something different from the big chains and may well be cheaper.
Just check over your roses and trees to make sure they are not flapping about in the breeze/gales.
Cut grass on a high setting if very mild, it will collect up leaves too and make everything look neat, especially if you cut the edges as well – use a board and a half moon tool to straighten up any wonky bits .Keep off wet sticky soil or use boards to distribute the weight and avoid compaction – death to any soil.
Plant any bare root trees, fruit or hedging, also new climbers like clematis and honeysuckle.
In the veg garden you can cover a patch with plastic sheeting or cloches to warm it up for early sowing.
Broad beans can be planted now if not done in autumn – make sure you get a variety suitable for winter sowing. Protect them from rodents and bad weather, best started in pots I find, then planted out later.
Also sweet peas can be planted now, say four to a pot, must be a deep pot as they make very long roots, they too can be planted in the ground later. Protect from vermin ,slugs and excessive wet.
Look out for seed potatoes, you could grow just half a dozen in old fertilizer sacks to enjoy that unique home grown flavour. Buy the seed potatoes and place them in egg cartons in a cool light place to chit i.e. grow little green shoots, rose end down (a tiny indentation where it was once attached to a root) ready to be planted out about Easter times.
You can plant garlic now ,a very easy crop, probably best under a cloche in harsh weather.
Avoid the temptation to go out and have a general hack at shrubs. Most are best pruned after flowering and then take out one third of the old wood down to the ground to stimulate new young growth to bear flowers. Old wood will be darker in colour or just look old and scruffy.
Cut back jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine, yellow flowers) with shears after flowering, take out any straggly bits and tie in strong new growth to its support.
Leave hydrangea heads on until danger of frost is over then cut back by about 20cm to a pair of strong buds. Buddleia can be cut back hard to about knee level.
Divide any perennials that you did not get around to in autumn e.g. helenium (daisies) phlox, hostas etc. Leave peonies and unless they have stopped flowering.
When shoots of bulbs first appear give them a handful of general fertilizer. After flowering do not take off green leaves for six weeks as they are feeding the bulb for next year.
Use any suitable prunings from shrubs to make wigwams for later in the year. Stick about 6 uprights into the ground in a circle around the plant that needs support, then weave other bits in and around them. It does not matter if it looks rather odd or untidy, the plant inside will soon cover it up and be grateful for your efforts.
Well I think that is enough to keep you going for a while, I am off for a winter holiday now. Will have more cuttings for you in March.
Happy gardening.
Caroline